HORSE the band
R. Borlax


4.0
excellent

Review

by HYPERVIOLET USER (1 Reviews)
March 12th, 2020 | 22 replies


Release Date: 2003 | Tracklist

Review Summary: At times brilliant, at times amateur, R. Borlax delivers where it counts.

Horse The Band is, as the name might suggest, an anomaly. They pull from the beautiful, 8-bit sounds of my childhood video games, and place them in frantic, discombobulated metal tracks. In R. Borlax, this results in the conflicting attributes of babbling, incoherent nonsense and masterful brilliance that can only be found in the most established set pieces.

"Seven Tentacles and Eight Flames" begins the bombardment of bizarre vocals, dancing synths, punk drum beats, and heavy, downtuned guitar. The vocalist constantly transitions between yells and shrieks and rarely strays from the topic of NES video games. He fits with the music perfectly, but his sophomoric delivery has a tendency to expound the grating and chaotic nature of the album a little too much. At 1:10 enters the most baffling element of Horse The Band's music. The drum beats slow, and the musicians erupt into an unbelievably inspired interlude. Buzzing bass line, slick guitar, catchy keys, and drum-fills galore exemplify one of the most cohesive jam seshes you'll ever hear. And then, as quickly as it came, the beautiful interlude leaves, and Horse The Band delves back into their obscure brand of metal. Thus, illuminates the contradiction of Horse The Band. It is like they are a covert group of seasoned veterans disguised as a silly, "Nintendo-core" band.

The lyrics only further emphasize this juxtaposition. The next track, "Cutsman", has an overall more accessible ring to it and contains another of the stand out moments of the album. After an abruptly dark and heavy breakdown, the song transitions into wonderfully layered synth and a mock drum beat. The vocals come in with, "Little android man, born without a soul, without a voice of reason, scissors took control, little android man, born without a heart, if he's in your vicinity, he'll cut you apart". Is he talking about the villain of the NES video game, "Mega Man", or is he describing a sociopath from his life who ravaged him? Is this an amateur band of talented teens or a cynical group of grizzled musicians? I don't know.

R. Borlax has plenty of stand out moments, and plenty of...not stand out moments. But you have to give them credit for pursuing a style that is truly their own and attaining a distinctive sound. Something as simple as the forceful tone of the breakdowns in "Purple" and "Big Blue Violence" adds an extra edge to the atmosphere and lyrics that would otherwise be forgettable. It also helps that these two songs contain interludes that could be infinitely looped, and I would be eternally entertained.


user ratings (501)
3.7
great


Comments:Add a Comment 
HYPERVIOLET
March 12th 2020


300 Comments


saw that there was somehow no review for this and found my calling in life

parksungjoon
March 12th 2020


47231 Comments


pretty solid first review, though it feels like it could be a biiiiit more fleshed out

pos'd

HYPERVIOLET
March 12th 2020


300 Comments


Thanks man. Is a real enterprise putting these things together and at about the 2 hour mark I admit I started to throw in the towel

parksungjoon
March 12th 2020


47231 Comments


yea i know what u mean i struggle myself whenever i try to be serious but it gets easier the more you do it

DungeonBoy
March 12th 2020


9945 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

cut.. cut.. cut.. CUTTTTTTTTT!

calmrose
March 12th 2020


6999 Comments


great first review

awesome album and band

HYPERVIOLET
March 12th 2020


300 Comments


Thanks mate

Trebor.
Emeritus
March 12th 2020


60012 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

can't believe this didn't have a review



nice one

mann28
March 13th 2020


24 Comments


This band is really odd but interesting. Have never listened to a full album, still gotta get around to that.

Halfman
March 16th 2020


319 Comments


One of best to ever do it, baby.

peekatoad
March 17th 2020


701 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Re listening and this is even better than i remember

DungeonBoy
March 18th 2020


9945 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

[2] dude. I really dug this when it came out, but that was like 15-20 years ago.. so to listen to this again and realize that it's actually pretty enjoyable was a bit of a surprise. Jamming now, and honestly, just impressed that it's held up. It's sporadic, spazzy, nonsensical most of the time sure, but still somehow very enjoyable.

HYPERVIOLET
March 18th 2020


300 Comments


[3] I like it more now than I did when I first heard it like 10 years ago. Really takes the edge off when I’m at work

peekatoad
March 18th 2020


701 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

I have cutsman stuck in my head.... Cut Cut Cut Cut!

Ziggity
April 17th 2020


1298 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Seeing cutsman and shapeshift live in a tiny venue, with around 100 people was one of the best things ever.

LeddSledd
July 19th 2020


7445 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

Gud shit

Ziggity
August 21st 2020


1298 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Still so so good, even the raw asf vocals.

cold
August 31st 2020


6735 Comments


SMASH

peekatoad
August 31st 2020


701 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

The rawness just adds to the goodness of this

Ziggity
August 31st 2020


1298 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Agreed



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